Folding cot.



Patented-July 2,1918.v

3 SHEETS-SHEET l R. COOPERSMITH.

FOLDING COT APPLICATION man Auc.14. 1911.

R. COOPERSMITH.

FOLDING COT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.I4. 1911.

1 ,270,790 Patented July 2, 1918..

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

R. COOPERSMITH.

FOLDING COT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 14. 19H.

1 ,270,790. Patented July 2,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Zz'ikafaasr I fl 72% I w RUDOLPH GOOPERSMITH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

FOLDING COT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1918.

1 Application filed August 14, 1911. Serial No. 856,719.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH CoornR- SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful- Improvement in Folding Cots, of whlch the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cots, particularly to that type which can be folded or collapsed, and has for its principal ob ec ts to devise a cot which may be easily and quickly folded into a small space; to devise a cot which can be readily converted into a childs crib; to devise a cot which, when unfolded or extended, will be strong and stable; and to attain certain advantages which Wlll be stated hereinafter.

The invention primarily consists in a cot whose frame comprises two sections, each of which is provided with pivoted legs, said sections being hinged together end to end so that they may be either extended in a straight line or superimposed one on the other. The invention further consists in the construction, arrangements and combinations of parts which will be more fully set forth hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification, and in which like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a cot embodying the invention, showing it unfolded or extended;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the cot shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the cot shown in Fig. 1, parts being broken away;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the cot showing it folded and its legs collapsed;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the cot arranged for use as a crib;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the cot shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the cot shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation showing a modified construction of the cot arranged as a crib- Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view in side elevation of a corner of the cot,

showing the construction of one of the pivoted legs;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section through one of the sides of the cot shown in Fig. 5; and

Fig. 11 is anenlarged fragmentar detail view showing the hook connections etween theb bottom of the cot and a panel of the or] The frame of the cot comprises two sections A and B which are hinged together end to end. The section A comprises two side members 1, an end member 2, and corner braces 3, each of which braces connects one side member 1 to said end member 2. Similarly, the section B comprises two side members 1, an end member 2, and corner braces 3. The sections A and B are disposed end to end, and the side members 1 and 1 of said sections are pivotally connected end to end by hinges 4.

Pivoted to each side member 1 of the section A. near each end thereof is a leg 5, preferably of angle iron. There are four legs for the section A. Similarly, the section B has four legs 5 pivoted to its side members 1. Said legs 5 and 5 are pivoted so as to be capable of swinging inwardly ad- ]acent to the side members of the sections A and B. At the outer end of each-leg 5 and 5, one flange of the angle iron is cut away for a short distance inwardly from the extreme end, leaving the other flange of the angle iron longer than said first-mentioned flange; and then the tip end portion of the longer flange of the angle iron is bent at right angles to its original position toward the other flange so as to form a fiat foot 6. Between each leg 5 and 5 and the corresponding side member of the sections A and B is connected a foldable brace consisting of two links 7 and 8, which are pivoted together near their adjacent ends. The link 8 is pivoted at its other end to the leg 5 or 5, (as the case may be), and the link 7 is pivoted to the side member 1 (or 1) The link 7 of each brace is provided with a lateral projection 9 (see Fig. 9) which is adapted to engage a shoulder on the other link 8 of the same brace, when the pivot between said link lies outside of the straight line between the pivots at. the extreme ends of said links.

The two legs 5 near each end of thesection A are connected together by a cross member '10, which is preferably an angle iron. An oblique brace 11 connects each leg 5 and the corresponding cross member 10. Similarly, the two legs 5 at'each end of the section B are connected by a cross member 12. which is, however, a fiat iron. An oblique brace 13 connects each leg 5 and the corresponding cross member 12.

The bottom 11 of the cot, which may be of canvas, wire fabric or other suitable material, is supported between the side members 1 and 1 and the end members 2 and 2 of the sections A and B by coiled tension springs 15, which are located at intervals around said bottom.

The section B may be folded over on top of the section A, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7; or,'the section A may be folded over on top of the section B. \Vhen thus folded, the cot can be converted into a childs crib by securing panels or openwork barriers between the upwardly extending legs of the upper section. In the preferred construction, shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 10, the panels of the crib are made of strips of canvas or like flexible material. Each panel preferably consists of an upper horizontal strip 16, a lower horizontal strip '17, and a plurality of vertical strips 18 whichare sewed or otherwise secured to said horizontal strips 16 and 17. The upper end portions of the vertical strips 18 of each panel are looped and sewed over a round rod 19. The rod 19 of each side panel has each end portion thereof bent at right angles to said rod to form a prong 20. The rod 19 of each end panel of the crib has each end portion thereof bent to form an eye 21. The foot 6 of each leg 5 of the section B has a circular hole therein. When the side panels and the end panels of the crib are in position, as shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 the prongs 20 of the rods 19 of the side panels pass through the eyes 21 of the rods 19 of the end panels and through the holes in the feet 6 of the legs 5 of the section B. The panels of the crib preferably incline upwardly and outwardly from the edges of the bottom 14, and are each provided along their lower edge with hooks 22 which are preferably arranged so as to hook into the same eyelets in which the springs 15 are hooked (Figs. 10 and 11), and into two rows of eyelets 22 which extend crosswise of the bottom 14 at its middle (Fig. 1).

In the modified form of construction shown in Fig. 8, the panels of the crib con sist of horizontal bars 23 and vertical bars 24, preferably of strap iron, which are riveted together. The horizontal bars 23 are bolted to the legs 5 of the section B. This modification also shows the application of caster rollers 25 to each leg 5 of the section A, so that when said legs 5 are folded against the side members 1, the caster rollers 25 are in position to bear upon the floor. In this latter construction, the crib is low and may be rolled about.

To unfold or extend the cot from its folded position, as shown in- Fig. 4, the legs 5 and 5 of the sections A and B are merely pulled out to their upright positions, and the two sections A and B are swung about the hinges 4 into line.

To convert the cot into a crib, the section B, with its legs 5 projected, is first folded over on the section A. Then, in the preferred construction (Figs. 5 to 7), the side panels and the end panels of the cot, are secured to the legs 5 of the section B. In the modification shown in Fig. 8, however, the panels are bolted to the legs 5 of the section B, and need not be disturbed when the cot is converted into a crib or vice versa. The section A may be supported by its legs 5, as shown in Fig. 5, or its legs 5 may be folded against the side members 1 and the section A supported directly on the floor, or the section A may be supported by the rollers 25, as shown in Fig. 8. If desired, the section A can be folded over on to the section B.

The cot shown and described can be folded into half its length, with a thickness of a little more than twice the width of the side members. Thus, when folded, the cot is very compact. Also, when unfolded or extended, the cot is supported by legs along each side and at its middle so that it cannot be easily tipped over, nor is it liable to sag in the middle.

-The construction shown and described may be changed considerably without departing from the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the details of said construction.

What I claim as my invention is as follows:

1. A combined cot and crib comprising U-shaped sections connected together at their open ends flush with the upper surfaces thereof whereby they are adapted to fold together, each of said sections having legs connected thereto, the legs of the upper section when said sections are folded together extending upwardly, and means adapted to be attached to the legs of said upper section and forming a barrier.

2. A combined cot and crib comprising two U-shaped sections hinged together at their open ends flush with the upper surfaces thereof whereby they are adapted to fold one upon the other, a flexible bottom secured to said sections in the plane of the hinges,

each of said sections having legs connected thereto, a flexible bottom secured to said sections, and detachable panels adapted to be secured to the legs of the upper section when said sections are folded, said panels extend ing upwardly from near the edges of said bottom.

3. A cot comprising two U-shaped sections hinged together at their open ends with the pivot point substantially flush with the upper surfaces of said sections whereby either one of said sections may be folded over on top of the other section without disturbing the operative position thereof so as to convert said cot into a difierent article of furniture, each of said sections having a foldable leg near each corner thereof, a cross member connecting the legs and open ends of said sections, and detachable panels adapted to besecured to the legs of the upper sections when the sections are folded together.

4. A collapsible and convertible cot comprising two U-shaped sections hinged together at their open ends substantially in the plane of the upper surfaces thereof, whereby either one of said sections may be folded over on top of the other section so as to convert said cot into a different article of furniture without disturbing the operative position of the first-mentioned section, each section havin two legs pivoted thereto at each end thereo the two legs of each end being connected together by a cross member, a foldable brace between each leg and the corresponding section, and means adapted to be secured to the legs of the upper section when the sections are folded together, to form a barrier.

5. A convertible cot comprising two U- shaped sections hin ed together at their open ends substantial y in the plane of their upper surfaces, and a flexible bottom connected to the side membersand end members of both sections in the plane of the hinges, each section having two legs pivoted thereto at each end thereof, and detachable panels adapted to be secured to the le of one of said sections to form a barrier, w ereby either one of said sections can be folded over on to the other section so as to conveilt said cot into a childs crib or similar artic e.

6. A collapsible and convertible cot comprising two U-shaped sections hin ed together end to end at their open en s flush with the upper surfaces thereof whereby they are adapted to fold together to convert said cot into a new article of furniture of half its length without changing the operative position of the lower section, a flexible bottom secured to said sections in the plane of the hinges, each section having two legs pivoted thereto near each end thereof, the legs near the adjacent ends of said sections extending side by side when said sections are unfolded, and detachable panels adapted to be secured to the legs of one of said sections,

Signed at St. Louis, Missouri, this 11th day of August, 1914.

RUDOLPH COOPERSMITH.

Witnesses:

NEIL D. Pnnscron, MARTHA A. SHELTON. 

